Sealed With a Tattoo
by MeTheMagicalMuggle
Summary: Following Meg's possession of Sam, the brothers realize the importance of permanent anti-possession defense, and take a late brothers' trip to the tattoo parlor. Rating for the three words Dean just HAD to say.


"Dude, you - you like, full-on had a girl inside you for like, a whole week. That's pretty naughty."

Twelve hours ago, Bobby had helped him free Sammy from the demon Meg, and now Dean woke up hating that he had ever needed to say those words to his little brother. So, as they headed out of Sioux Falls, he suggested they find better protection.

"Tattoos?" came his brother's response. "Look, I know your big brother brain dies at the thought of my having a girl 'in me,' but Dean, that was before the charms." He held up the one Bobby had given him. "Just wear this, and your innocent little mind remains a safe place for Dean Winchester's own strangeness." Sam tried to joke, but it was clear his focus was still on his fears of going dark.

Sensing no real debate, Dean knew Sam wasn't truly against turning their charms into tattoos, but he continued to push the idea. "Sam, those charms could get lost. They could be taken from us easily by anyone looking to possess us. We need something better. There!"

Dean had located a sign advertising what he needed and turned into Vishnu Bunny Tattoo and Piercing as Sam gave in. "But they can't be anywhere obvious."

Dean shot back, "what, you're still gonna be a lawyer and a tat isn't professional?"

"Dean, if Meg -- or any demon -- tries to possess either of us and we've got the symbol on our faces, they get one easy shot: they break that lock and they're inside us. The least we can do is make it that much harder for them."

It was a testament to how freaked out Sam's possession had left them that neither made fun of the cute crown-wearing bunny who watched them enter from the painted storefront window.

It was another that neither had realized how chatty their tattoo artists would be. These immediately tried to make conversation about the unusual charm that was meaningful enough to tattoo over their hearts (the hidden place they'd silently agreed upon en route from the car to these chairs).

"It's important to our uncle," blurted Dean.

"The sun - light and happiness, right? And starlight breaks through dark that's there, it's hopeful . . . " was Sam's girly way of adding significance to the tats, never mind that the pentagram had no relation to a babyish star twinkling above the world.

In his well-practiced method of melding two lies into something credible, Dean threw a hasty story together for the artists' benefit: "In our childhoods, Sam and I. . . had the greatest times outdoors, where the sun and stars live, obviously. Uh, deer hunting, hikes in the woods, y'know? And this, this was with Old Uncle Bobby, and. . . he was just there for us, every time. He let us be ourselves, more than anyone had, and we love the guy, and. . ."

Realizing that he was rambling, and that he had somehow gone more girly than Sam had, he shut up. And glared at the wall, determined to say nothing cuter than "thanks" until he was out of this damn tattoo shop with its damn bunny and its little girls excited over their damn unicorn earrings.

Dean continued glaring while Sam chatted with their tattoo artist about exactly how great their "Uncle" Bobby was. The older man _was_ the reason Sam had finally escaped Meg's vengeful, life-ruining control, but still, why was Sam able to comfortably continue talking about the sun and stars while Dean had to maintain silence in mourning his lost pride?

The other customers could've provided him a welcome distraction, but they were no better than the girl with the glittery unicorns.One woman, recently married, had left with a pigeon permanently and in full detail painted on her wrist, the story being that this bird had attacked her cake, starting a food fight at her wedding. And two teenagers had come in wanting the image of the car they'd learned to drive in. Finally interested, Dean joined that conversation, until learning that they'd never _named_ the thing.

Deciding that nothing said in this store was going to make sense, Dean focused on the torture he was undergoing, being repeatedly stabbed in the heart while he set his jaw and never complained. That was awesome.

Finally, they were "all set, man." For one awkward but crucial minute, each brother examined the other's chest for demon-proofing perfection. Then, while Dean tried to pay, Sam began talking in such tearful happiness, it made Dean kick him on their side of the counter. Sam's speech was worse. "My big brother and I will forever be so grateful to this establishment for giving us the gift of carrying our uncle and childhood memories on our skin."

Dean was surprised his brother didn't drop and kiss the girl's hand, he was being that annoying. As strange as Pigeon Lady and Nameless-but-special Car Boys had been, Dean knew that now, the brothers would never be "the common customer" to these employees. The girl behind the counter was friggin' crying with Sam. He could only hope that, this being Bobby's town of residence, they saw enough evilly weird battles that Sam's crazy mockery of Dean's emotions wouldn't register.

Back in the Impala, and only one painful punch later, Sam spoke. "Okay, but really. This tattoo isn't the special reminder of a great event that everyone else gets. You hope it'll keep us safe from another episode like this week, and I'm all for that, obviously. But Dean, it's a tattoo. We just got our first tattoos." He paused. "It should be more meaningful than this, and as my big brother, you really should've dragged me into a tattoo parlor years ago. Like, eighth grade, years ago. You were a bad influence often enough."

Dean started the car with a " I was never a bad influence. Bitch." and waited for the response that would make these impromptu tattoos one of _their_ memories. It didn't matter that they'd made up everything about the symbol, and had now unceremoniously tossed Bobby's charms in the glove compartment; it didn't matter that they'd pulled a "teenage rebellious brothers" act ten years too late. A demon had tried to drive them apart, Sam had _asked_ Dean to kill him, but they remained together. He would always be Sam's -

"Jerk."


End file.
